Need-to-Know Pizza Info, Plus Behind the Scenes at HG!

I'm obsessed with pizza -- especially on Friday nights. Is it possible to order delivery pizza that's relatively guilt-free? And do you have any finds or recipes that can be prepared in the time it takes to have pizza delivered?

Pizza Patty

Hi Patty,

You're not alone in your obsession. Americans LOVE pizza! Here are some pizza tips for you... So fear not!

Delivery DOs and DON'Ts - Go for thin crust instead of doughy and/or cheese-filled crusts. This will save you a lot of carby/cheesy calories. Request "light on the cheese" (or bravely try it cheese-free!). When it comes to toppings, order lots of fresh veggies, like peppers, onions, and mushrooms. But watch out for eggplant, which is often fried and/or oily. Skip the fatty meat toppings. If you want, keep a stash of turkey pepperoni in your fridge, and toss a few pieces on your pizza. And one of the best and most important tips for any delivery pizza... BLOT your pizza. Using a napkin to soak up some of that grease can save you a LOT of calories and fat grams. For some specific pizza-joint picks, check out this handy guide I created for Redbook. And click here for more ordering tips!

DIY in 30 Minutes or Less - Start with a guilt-free crust like a high-fiber pita, light English muffin, or high-fiber tortilla. You can even go veggie bottomed, using portabella mushroom caps or hollowed-out bell pepper halves. For sauce, either use jarred pizza sauce or mix your favorite spices/herbs into some canned crushed tomatoes. When it comes to cheese, light string cheese is a good way to keep portions in check -- you can shred it in a blender, or just pull it into strips and roughly chop. Reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping is another go-to ingredient. And for toppings, I love turkey pepperoni (Hormel's is the best), ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by MorningStar Farms or Boca), and chopped veggies. Check out Birds Eye Recipe Ready Pizza Supreme Blend -- pizza-perfect frozen veggies with black olives!

I think your recipes are great! How do you come up with ideas, and what is your recipe-development process like?

Curious in Cleveland

Hi Curious,

Thanks for the compliment! It's a LOT of fun creating Hungry Girl recipes. Inspiration is found EVERYWHERE! The HG team is always on the lookout for new menu items with crazy calorie counts -- we LOVE whipping up guilt-free swaps for our Chew The Right Thing emails. For these, we get our hands (and taste buds!) on the original, so we know exactly what we're re-creating. I also get a lot of ideas from the HG subscribers, who write in letting me know which fattening foods they crave. Keep 'em coming!

Once a recipe concept is chosen, we turn to our favorite techniques (like faux-frying when re-creating a fatty fried food) and go-to ingredients (like The Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges for Alfredo-like sauces). Each and every recipe is tested in the amazing HG test kitchen. Some are nearly perfect on the first try, while others require a few takes to get 'em just right.

And in case you're wondering, I am personally involved in every single HG recipe, whether it's created for our emails, cookbooks, or partners (like our pals at the US Potato Board). I make sure that every recipe is PERFECT. In fact, I'm off to taste a fruity scone right now... Look for that recipe in your inbox in early October!

Who doesn't love pizza? Click "Send to a Friend" NOW, and send this pizza lovers' email to everyone you know!

CHEW ON THIS:

Today, September 25th, is National One-Hit Wonder Day. Celebrate by blasting Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" while sipping on a Chilla in Vanilla Milkshake!

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*The PointsPlus® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.